I overheard an argument the other day about paper books were going away. The two women embroiled in the topic used the ever expanding toy and trinket section in Barnes & Noble as proof that people aren't going to continue buying paper books. Although if they would have thought through their argument of using B&N as the microcosm for book world, they would see that the Nook is dying in that building too. Which would mean stories as a whole are dead. And honestly, nothing is further from the truth.

But back to the conversation I overheard, I couldn't help but thing about the incredible transformation the world of book publishing has gone through in just the past ten years.

Ebooks were around long before the kindle, but for me, that little device was what opened up the world of ebooks for me. I distinctly remember watching an Oprah episode where she gave away a first generation kindle (the one with the roller wheel, y'all) to her audience. And frankly, I'd never wanted to be in an Oprah audience more.

When the Kindle came on the scene, we had the ability to download the ebooks that were already out in the world, and take them with us, just like the paper books many of us were already lugging around in our purses and backpacks. The kindle also introduced me to the world of erotic romance, but that's a whole other story.

The interesting thing for me that came from the release of the kindle device was that we now had a viable choice. The world could carry a paper book or an e-reader with basically the same amount of space and heft. But each format has some serious pro's and con's.

E-READER PRO's and CON's

PRO's-Carrying thousands of books instead of just one.-The ability to buy the next book in a series IMMEDIATELY-Reading without someone looking at the cover of your book and feeling like they can comment on it.-TTS or Text to Speech. (This is now a defunct feature, but I kept my old kindles so I still have this feature on mine, and it's a HUGE PRO for me.)-Buying books from damn near anywhere in the world.-Freebies! (Or super cheap sales. Ebooks go on sale A LOT.)-MAKING THE FONT BIGGER! Bless this feature. When my eyes are fried, it's a lifesaver.

CON's-Battery-powered. (I swear, the one day I need it most is the day it dies.)-Not able to skim pages. -Expensive. (The price has gone down, but back in the day, it was a $400 investment to get this bad boy.)-Ads now appear unless you pay extra. -Distortion of graphics and charts depending on the publisher. -Flipping to footnotes and indexes is a pain in the ass.

PAPERBOOK PRO's and CON's

PRO's-The feel of the paper. When a publisher invests in paper quality, it makes me keep reading.-No need for batteries.-You can borrow for free from your library. Aside from the cost of getting there, you can read a paper book without paying money.-Immediate reading. No waiting for a screen to turn on or an app to load if you read on a tablet. -Author autographs. There is nothing like holding in your hands something signed by your literary rockstar.-Reference books. Ebooks don't have the easy flip through factor, and never will.

CON's-If you buy your books instead of borrowing from the library, it's expensive to get the new releases. And with costs as they are now, you can buy a kindle for the same price as two hard covers. -It's only one book at a time. Unless you want to give yourself back problems and carry five at once.-Damage. It's easy to ding up a book, break the spine, spill on it. They yellow and get gross over time. And we won't even talk about the questionable stains found on some library books. Ew.-You have to travel or wait for delivery of your favorite books. No shopping in your pajamas with unwashed hair.-Nosey people. I hate having to deal with whatever reaction someone might have. The joy of reading in public is avoiding human interaction.

Can you tell by my list that I'm never going to give up either type of book?

Because I'm not. And I seriously doubt anyone else is either. There are always trends coming and going. Honestly, the thing the arguing women missed out on was the beauty of having different options to read. For those who have poor eyesight, ebooks allow them to increase the font and allow them to read. For people who are completely blind, audiobooks are becoming bigger than ever. Getting people access to the stories however they want to read them is the most important, if you ask me.

For my own reading life, I tend to live by 5 major rules when buying books.

1. Always buy reference material in paper. I've tried multiple times to do reference in audio and ebook, and if the info is good, I will always buy the print later anyway.

2. Always buy self-help/motivation books in audio. I don't know if this is simply a "how I started is how I'll continue" vibe, but I vastly prefer listening to self-help tomes in audio format. It's like someone in my ear, cheering me on.

3. Always buy genre fiction in ebook. This only has one caveat. I will buy print versions of books if I'm at a signing. But 9 times out of 10, I won't read the paper. They are for cuddling and cooing over only.

4. Borrow from the library and request desired content frequently. I am a huge advocate of the library. (You won't catch me with a KU subscription.) So when my library doesn't have a fave author, I always put in a request for the book. Even if I'm running right out to buy it after searching in the library's website. I want the library to know that romance and erotic romance are valid forms of literature.

​5. Buy from a bookstore, or somewhere I know the author gets a cut. Now don't get me wrong. I do scour half-price bookstores. But when I buy from a half-price bookstore, I always buy the ebook to go with it. Or I am in the store searching for out-of-print materials. Currently I'm snatching up Samhain Publishing books I loved in ebook since I'll never be able to buy them in print from the online store again. And I'm still holding out hope that one day I'll stumble across some L.J. Smith Vampire Diaries with the original 90's cover art. But if I'm buying a reference book, it's from Amazon or a bookstore. I know how hard it is to deal with pirates and scammers. I want the authors to get the money for their work. Even if it costs me a little more. And if times are hard? See rule 4. Libraries pay for their books, and the more I borrow, the more copies of the author's next release my library will stock.

What about you? Do you prefer ebooks or paper? Or are you like me and want certain types of books in different formats? Any pro's or con's you think I missed? I'd love to hear about them.

So here's the deal. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a good book with even better sex scenes. See all those people walking around? Every damn one of them exists because two people got their Marvin Gaye on.

Sex is natural and super fun! So when I'm reading a book involving romance, I want my characters to enjoy themselves. The problem doesn't lie with me, or with my comfort level, but it involves the fact that I'm busy, and I don't always have the ability to sit in my house and read.

Am I going to let a packed schedule stop me from reading the books I love? Fuck, no, I'm not.

When I step out and I'm elbow deep in a good book, here are five things I do to not prevent other people from interrupting the exceptionally happy times of the characters I'm reading.

1. Earbuds. Visible ones.

I'm not always listening to my books through Audible. What I am, is interested in not being disturbed. Visible earbuds let people know you can't hear them.

Don't get me wrong, I have still been approached while out in public and trying not to be. Sometimes purple hair causes a scene. But with my earbuds in, I've been known to ignore a person or two and pretend the non-existent music was blasting.

*NOTE* If you are listening to an audio book, start the book before you put your earbuds in. Nothing will get you kicked out of a Panera faster than not having your earbuds all the way in your phone and accidentally blasting a double penetration scene at full volume.

Okay. This might be a weird phobia of mine, but I tend to bite my lips when reading a particularly enticing scene. So I make sure to pack lip balm. If I feel like I might end up looking like a wannabe LL Cool J out there, I take out the lip balm to remind myself to stop.

3. Kid-Blocking Noise

Nothing kills the romantic vibes like a child throwing a tantrum. Since I've already got my earbuds engaged, I'll pull up a white noise app, or my ambient mixer environment of choice. Sure...babies can sometimes result from the activities I'm listening too, but when the heroine has her legs wrapped around her partner's head squeezing the life out of them as she's riding the rails to O-Town, I don't want to listen to a two year old talk to their parent about what type of bodily function is currently urgent.

​There got to be a point where I had to say, I don't care what you think. Even considering the intense Catholic school guilt, I hate to admit how long it took me to get where I am. But I finally realized that if people want to read over my shoulder, or judge my book choices while they crush candy on their phones, that's their fucking problem.

I'm not going to stop reading what I love, or writing it. So sometimes I pack a little defensive armor when I venture into the great outside world. But here's the thing...most people aren't going to pay one bit of attention to what's going on between your book pages. Life's too short to read stuff that makes you yawn. So I say, find something that will make you squirm instead.

​What books do you love to read that might not be appropriate to quote in public? I'd LOVE to hear about them. And if you're in need of something a little naughty, there are a few books in the side bar that certainly fit the bill. ;)

Today is one of those rare days that I didn't screw up the adulting thing. I got out of the house early yesterday and got some shopping done. I didn't have a ton of time, but I knew that there was a fairly heavy snow coming through, and the entire world would panic and run to the stores after they got off work.

So now that the road outside my house looks like a poorly maintained parking lot, I'm staying in my pajamas and not moving from this spot.

I don't get to see my RWA buddies today, but I'd rather be safe and watching YouTube than sliding off the side of the highway and forcing other people to come rescue me.

I'm taking a snow day!

As adults, especially one who works retail, the snow days are pretty much non-existent. (My evil day job is open today, but luckily it's my day off.) So imagine my surprise when both of my extracurricular activities canceled today.

I dawdled with my Miracle Morning, and I'm taking it easy with this blog. But don't think I won't be working today! Because that's just what we do as grownups. I just get to work in PJs and slippers. So I'm not mad at it. But if you're looking for ideas on what to do today, I thought I'd share my top 5 things to do on a day when you're trapped in my mother nature.

1. Hot Beverages

Sure, many of us start our day with coffee, but on snow days...I get extra. So this morning, I added cinnamon to my coffee grounds. I drizzled caramel in my coffee cup before pouring the coffee in. And I even have a little whipped cream to dob on top. We have some extra time. Let's make ourselves something fancy! And if you're not a coffee drinker, make a killer hot cocoa!

2. Journal

This is part of my miracle morning anyway, but I love taking out a notebook and jotting down what I'm thinking. For some reason, doing some writing by hand in front of a window while watching the snow fall, is incredibly romantic to me. So it's always something I do.3. Dance Party

I love my Amazon Echo. And I tend to blast some happy upbeat music during a snow storm. We use a lot more dishes when we're trapped at home all day, so I put on music while I get the chores done. I also challenge everyone in my family to a game of "Song Quiz" on my Echo, which is my favorite Echo skill ever. Basically, some bumpin' music makes the time at home more fun.

4. Pet Project

Making time for the things I want to do, instead of all the things I have to do is key to making me feel less behind when we finally start digging out of the snow. At least I can accomplish something while I'm here. And it's the perfect excuse to devote time to the things I've been pushing back as "not urgent". So today, I'm working on an online class, and getting some extra writing time in. But I'm also going to spend a few minutes crocheting a scarf while I watch YouTube. This is the time for all the stuff I WANT to do.

​5. Enjoying the pets!

We have a dog and a cat, so seeing both of their reactions to the snow always makes me smile. My dog is older and isn't a huge fan of being cold or wet, but get her outside with some snow and she can't resist shoving her little nose in it.

My cat is completely indoors, so he never gets to see snow. So we thought we'd share some of the white stuff with him today. And we were laughing like crazy as he batted at it, shook his paw, bit it, and basically tried to figure out what the fuck we had just put in front of him.

It's all the little things in the day that make up the best moments. So I plan on spending my snow day, enjoying them! How do you spend your time stuck inside during inclement weather? I'll need some ideas for the next snow day.

I'm a week into my New Year's Resolution of doing my Miracle Morning every day, and today was a struggle. I work 12 hour shifts every Sunday, so my body was not too happy with me when the alarm went off and I had to get my butt out of bed.

But instead of wasting time on my phone until it was time to get head into work for the day, I started with my seventh day of Miracle Morning in a row. Here are some changes I'm already noticing after a week.

1. I feel my body settle quicker when I start meditating.I'm only doing ten minutes of mediation to start out my day, but I may add an afternoon or evening practice in as well. I don't want toadd onto my morning because I want to make sure what I'm doing is sustainable all year, but I'm feeling the benefits. I feel my muscles sink into the couch where I close my eyes and breathe deeply every morning. I am able to let the million and one thought bubbles pop a little easier. And I can focus on things more than I'd been able to before this week began.

Not only that, but when I sit down and close my eyes, my shoulders drop. My jaw unclenches. The pressure behind my eyes softens. I'm incredibly grateful I picked up my mediation practice again.

2. I'm able to let more shit go instead of holding onto the anger or pain.

I was feeling really sad, and any horrible thing tended to send me spiraling. All the awful things piled on and my tears or rage would spring to the surface easily. After just one week, I can feel a space forming for me between those extreme reactions. Don't get me wrong. When an asshole cuts me off or drives fifteen under the speed limit, I still test the magnitude of my cursing abilities. Road rage is real, y'all. But when I turn off my social media for the day, I'm able to let some of the awful things go. Certain things chase me down and find me anyway, but I've got some armor on. I've got the knowledge that I'm working on making things better by starting with myself.

3. I can go up and down the stairs multiple times without getting winded.Don't get me wrong. I'm not signing up at a modeling agency or to run a marathon, but even just 3 minutes a day of movement has made a difference in how I am able to make it around my house of many stairs. I'm interested to see what happens when I make it up to 5 minutes a day.

4. My confidence is experiencing a nice boost.

There is something about journaling on a regular basis that pumps me up. I always seem to end on a little pep talk to myself, and it seriously gets me ready for the day. Don't get me wrong. A customer service job tends to knock the wind out of your sails pretty soon after, but I get that fresh start all over again the very next day. I don't enjoy my job, but I can already tell, I head into work hating it a little less.

5. I want to do more.

I'm on the lookout for personal development classes. I'm wrangling people to write with me. (And we're starting tomorrow, ladies, so get your shit ready!) I am thinking of adding in some afternoon and evening items to my week. Now, don't get me wrong. I have been a victim of the crash and burn before. So I know better than to pile on too much at once. But I think I'm going to put together a list of items I can do if I'm feeling particularly on top of things that day.

I'm even finishing up my blog before I head into the evil day job. Look at me go! Did you make any New Year's Resolutions? Now that it's the 7th day of the year, have you kept up? Or have you realized the thing you wanted to do most wasn't right for you? I'd love to hear how the first week of your 2019 is going. Tell me in the comments!

I am writing this post on November 30th, but sitting at 19k, I realize am not going to hit even the halfway point in NaNoWriMo this year.

It's the first year I've failed as "Roxy" after five straight wins. Even more wins if you count my now dead persona.

It's surreal and hard to swallow. Especially after I started out on November 1st with 5k.

This November kicked my real life ass. Between hubby pulling extra time a state away for his new job, the house needing work, the car needing work, and bills popping up out of nowhere, I struggled. Add in extra hours at my evil day job, and some minor health issues, and my whole month was spent in emergency management.

My morning routine flew out the window. My life revolved around cooking for the family because of no money or time to eat out, and taking vitamin C like there was no ​tomorrow, because there was no option for me to get sick.

However, this month was not a wash or a fail by any stretch of the imagination. I did a lot of really cool things this month. And I learned a lot! Which is what I want from any NaNoWriMo adventure.

What did I learn? Here are my Top 5.

1. I found out daily double posts are not realistic. I was able to keep up for a couple weeks, but it wasn't realistic to blog, post, and write on an every day schedule. I've done it in the past, but my home life then was very different than it is now, and I need to rework my expectations. I realized how important my mental health is. And I found that taking the time I needed to not break down, was vital.

2. I learned I really like live-streaming and being on video. I only did one live "write-in" but I enjoyed the hell out of it. I liked talking on camera, and it's something I didn't realize about myself. So I have a new direction to explore.

3. I learned that while I can plot, it's harder for me to adjust on the fly when I have a plot written down. So until I can stick to a plot as written, plotting and fast-drafting together doesn't work well for me. Whether or not this plot style I've tried will net less time in edits still remains to be seen, but I'm going to get some writing done after this post. If I finish a book in two months that requires half the editing of a fast draft written in one...well...hell, it's worth the extra time.

4. I learned how much my hubby pimps my writing when I'm not around. This was one of those weird moments that spurred me to keep working on my manuscript. Hubby's new job takes him on the road a lot and when he's home I try to make it a point to spend some time with him. Which took away from the writing, but my own HEA beats any book ending. He told me about how his work conversation with colleagues turned into him sharing my pen name and some book info. (PS, if you're here because of my hubby, I appreciate it. Hit me up if you want a signed paper copy. I have extras for sale.)5. I learned that winning or losing NaNoWriMo doesn't define me as a writer. This should have been obvious, but it surprised me that I needed to learn this lesson the most. I am a huge proponent of NaNoWriMo, and I wouldn't change the opportunities and the friends it's afforded me. BUT, I also think it was good for me to not hit my 50k this month. Deadlines are valuable, but it's more important to me now to write a book worth putting up for sale. Could I have written 50k this month? Yes. Would it have been a work I was proud to publish? With the stress and mental fatigue I was dealing with...not a chance in hell.

There has been a lot of talk among people (I'm not naming names. No. Not even in DMs) who are profitable in this business. These are people who are using ghostwriters and only working hard on the first 10-20% of their books, because that's all they need to do to sell them. I don't think that could ever be me. And maybe that means I won't get to live off my book sales, but some things are more important than money to me, and integrity is one of those things.

My books might not ever hit a list, but I hope I've made people smile with my stories. I've had authors and editors I respect in this business compliment my voice and story-telling.

Through my journey so far, I've learned I'm an author. I've been published and reviewed, and no one can take that away from me. Not even a NaNoWriMo loss.

I'm off to write and take some of what I've learned with me.

Did you participate in NaNoWriMo? Did you hit your purple bar? What did you learn from this process? I'd love to hear about it.

If you haven't noticed by my lack of blogging lately, I have been hiding out from the interwebs. Life threw me for a real loop and I'm working hard to get my feet back under me. But I am surrounded by a fantastic group of authors and friends, and because we all know by now, (I've said it enough this month, I know. I'll shut up soon.), NaNoWriMo is a time to try new things.

I had a small tripod and a mediocre cell phone, so I tried hosting an online write in, in my NaNoWriMo writers group.

Why not publicly, you ask? Um...it was a stay at home day, and I didn't want to put on makeup. The only reason you get the re-creation pic below is because of photo editing. My eye bags and lack of makeup need help this early in the morning. And frankly, I'm not putting on makeup to take one pic for this blog. I love, y'all. But not enough to attempt eyeliner before a full cup of coffee.

What did I learn from my first live video? Well...let me break it down.

1. FB live video has a delay. I loaded up the FB page to see if my video was actually showing up, and there was a good 10-15 second delay between what I was saying and what was showing up.

2.Avoid front-facing cameras if you need to show anything with words on it. So if you are going to be showing off a book or cute items with quotes, use your rear-facing camera. The FB live feed allows you to line everything up before you start broadcasting, so you have time to line up your shot.

3.Selfie rules apply. Any selfie addict knows, you need to find your angle. Don't set up a camera below your line of sight. If you're using your laptop, prop that bitch up. The higher the camera, the fewer chins you have. #protip I might not be the most professional videographer, but I know that if you want that good look, setting your video up just off to the side to allow for 3/4 profile, and slightly above my line of sight, works well for me.

​4. You viewing yourself counts as a "watch". I legit thought there was someone in my group watching me for a good 5 minutes before I realized, the viewer was my own FB feed on there. Yep. Felt real dumb.

5.You have the option to post your video after streaming or delete it. After you end your broadcast, you can either post the video to view later or wipe that bitch away. Obviously, how the stream went would determine if you post or don't. I shared mine, mainly because no one else in my group was around, and me yammering and writing for an hour wouldn't be worthwhile if I didn't post it. But if shit goes wrong...no one but those watching live have to know.

6.Turn off notifications! I didn't think about how loud notifications would be. And my phone got a couple of them during the feed which resulted in an epicly loud ding during the video. So another #protip, turn off all notifications and the ability to receive calls before you start broadcasting if using your phone. I'll definitely do so next time.

Yes, I did go back and watch my own video. And I don't think it was half bad. I thought I'd be awkward and stumbling, but I found the whole experience relaxing. It was like talking to friends. I did occasionally glance at the camera during my writing sprint time and smirk. And there was a bit of a "this is odd" feeling during the writing sprint times, because I felt like I should be talking. Which is also why my writing sprint end count was lower than it usually was. But in about an hour, I chatted, wrote 1400ish words, and tried something new.

I think I'm going to do more live videos, simply because I enjoyed sitting down and chatting with a cup of coffee in hand. Before I do anything outside of closed groups, though, I'm going to set up my shot better, sit in a room that isn't lit from above, and put on some damn makeup.

Have you watched a live video stream before? If so, what is your preferred space to watch? FB? IG? Or have you done your own livestreams or write-ins before? If so, share some tips with me. I'd love to hear them.

There is nothing like the feeling of checking off every single thing on your to do list. Maybe you got your errands done early and were able to squeeze in something you'd been putting off, or maybe you had an awesome word count day (like I did yesterday), or you just ended up cleaning your house more than you thought because it REALLY needed it.

One of the things I battle with is always trying to improve on the day before. Sometimes the stars align, the muse shows up with extra coffee, and all the lights you hit are green. But that won't happen every day. The fact that I might not hit the same stride as I did the day before is one of the hardest mental blocks I have to battle in my every day life.

So here are a few things I do, the day after I've kicked ass.

1. Express Gratitude

I have a little block in my planner, where I can write down something I'm grateful for every day. This is the perfect spot to brag on myself. And when I've kicked extra ass, I break out my stash of favorite pricey stickers and give myself a Kiss Cut pat on the back. If it was a really great day, I might also talk about it in my journal. Evaluate why it was so good, remind myself of what I've accomplished and make note of anything that might have been different from your average day. But mostly, I'm just writing down why I'm so happy it happened.

2. Make a Plan Based in Reality

Not every day is going to look the same. I had yesterday off to devote to NaNo and all things writing. I kicked wordcount ass. But today, there are a lot of other things that are going to take priority. Like bill paying, and filling up the empty fridge and pantry, and getting food for the animals, and a million other little things that weren't on my "Have To" list yesterday. So trying to write as much as I did when I didn't have to get out of my PJs until 6pm is not realistic. So it's time to break out the time block sheet and get to work. (I go over time-blocking basics in Day 2 of my #Roxys7DayChallenge)

3. Get Started Right Away

When I'm going to be busy, the only time I'm going to be sitting down is when I've scheduled in a break. (Hint: Those are important too!) So if the clock has ticked over and it is time to get started, I set a timer and move. Sometimes I have to give myself a little pep talk, bargain with my tired body, or even do a count down to convince myself to get my ass in gear, but I do it. Now. Figure out how to pull a no-nonsense attitude with your inner Procrastination Patty, and kick that bitch to the curb.

4. Adjust For Fires

You'll inevitably get stuck in traffic behind an accident, or open up that box of leftovers you were going to eat for lunch and realize you're going to have to go to the store, because food poisoning is not worth it. Something will throw a wrench in. But don't throw everything out the window. Prioritize. There is something on your schedule that isn't vital. One thing that's lower on the list than the rest. Push it off until tomorrow. Now look at your time block and move things around. Things you aren't allowed to kick off your list...food, water, and sleep. You need to take care of yourself. You're top of the list even if you don't want to be.

5. Breathe

If the overwhelm or pressure starts to build, stop what you're doing and take a deep breath. You're in a brand new day, and you're doing the absolute best you can in this exact moment. If you meditate, make sure not to miss your practice. If you don't, turn up some tunes and dance through a chore, or plug in an audio book and listen while you tackle some of your mindless tasks. Listen to something uplifting or funny. Take the moment to appreciate what you're about to get done and remind yourself why it's awesome to do so.

I hate doing laundry, but when I get backed up and overwhelmed I try to remind myself that being able to go into my closet and see the clean clothes means I can pick my cutest or most comfy clothes, and that's a gift to myself. I deserve to be pampered. Even if it's me doing it.

Today is a brand new day, and we all can take what we've accomplished in the past as a guide, but it's never going to be quite the same feel. It's never going to be the same circumstances. It's never going to be the same day. And that's okay. We're going to tackle the challenges and get shit done. Let's head off and write the next chapter. I'm hoping mine has bacon and coffee in it.

What do you do after you've hit a productivity goal? Does it motivate you to keep pushing? Or are you easily discouraged like me? I'd love to hear about it.

Fair warning, I'm going to be talking a lot about NaNoWriMo. Because I'm participating, and have a fun group I'm hoping to drag across the finish line with me, there's not going to be a morning where it's not on my mind.

This is the point where everyone is buzzing with excitement and can't wait to get started on or wrap up a current "Work in Progress" (WIP) that is ready for the best ending ever.

People have been gearing up, prepping, plotting, and promising themselves they won't eat that leftover Halloween Candy for breakfast.

​​But there are a few stages of NaNoWriMo that I know I go through, so if it is your first year participating, I am going to give you a peek at what might happen to your writer brain too.

Now, I'm not saying this to discourage you, but THIS IS HARD. Especially if you haven't done it before. But it's also a community of writers from all over the world doing the same thing, and facing the same struggles.

So here are some of the Stages of NaNoWriMo, you may encounter yourself. I know I've been through them all.

"This is Easy"

This stage usually happens in the beginning of the month. Maybe you're good at word sprints and know you can consistently knock out 500-1000 words in a short period of time. You know you can set aside an hour or two per day and think this is going to be no big deal. The thing about writing is, it's both the easiest thing to do, and the hardest thing to do consistently. And that's exactly why NaNo is a challenge. When you find yourself in the "This is Easy" stage, bank extra words. You're feeling good, so push yourself a little more and get ahead for when the rough patches show up.

"Whoa...I Still Have How Much to Write?!?!?"

This part sneaks up on you. Usually at the end of week 1 or beginning of week 2 for me. You'll be luxuriating in your green bar of accomplishment for the day, and glance down at the graph where it tells you how much you have currently written and how much you still have to write. Before you crest that halfway point, when you're tired and writing at 5am (like I am right now), you'll be flabbergasted about how much there is left. Don't let it stop you. If this is intimidating for you, avoid the graph until you hit 25k. Stay away from groups with power writers if you get discouraged, and keep your goals simple. Get your green bar for the day, every day.

"This Sucks"

This stage could reference your daily grind for words or your general feeling of apathy about your book. If you're worried about your book, here's the thing, it might suck. I have NaNo manuscripts that will never EVER see the light of day, but those books got me writing again. You have to write crap before you can write the good stuff. It could be that you write messy first drafts and then edit them to death, and they become something beautiful. You never know until the words are on the paper and you reach "The End" of your book. So you might as well write it. You can't edit a blank page.

And if you're saying "This sucks" because you don't like writing everyday, well, then you're learning something about your writing style too. But I suggest you keep going through the month. You can't tell if something works for you unless you give it a chance. I got my first finished book because of NaNoWriMo, and even though that book was horrific, I am so damn proud I finished it. Don't give up.

"Holy Shit, I Might Pull This Off"

This is the point where you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It usually happens for me when I get down to about 15k left. One day you look up from your computer and you realize that if you write as much as your best days, you might even be able to knock this out early. Or it might be right as you crest that half-way point hill, and your graph no longer tells you you'll finish in March.

You can totally do this. The book doesn't have to be a masterpiece. And don't let anyone read it until you edit it. A. Lot. But this book has an end, and by God, you're going to get there.

"I AM A WRITER"

This is my favorite stage. And it can hit anytime throughout the month. Maybe you feel it when you're typing away at a coffee shop and glance up and see another person doing the same thing. You'll nod at each other with bags under your eyes and toast your extra caffeinated beverages before returning to your laptops. Or maybe you'll feel it during an early morning sprint where you get your words out of the way before the day gets crazy with work. Or even late at night when you don't have to work the next day and you're ignoring the latest NetFlix binge because something about your characters is so exciting you can't stop until it's all on the page.

A writer is someone who writes. And that's what this whole shebang is about. Writing. I crave this stage of NaNoWriMo, and it's why I keep signing up.

​NaNoWriMo is my new year. It's my fresh start. It's the time where I drop whatever I'm doing and return to the part of this whole gig that I love the most...telling a story. I get distracted by real life, far too much during the year. Especially in December, but this month is all for me, and it's about getting shit done.

So let's get shit done together. We're writers. And writers write.

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? It's not too late to sign up! If you're writing, make sure to add me as a buddy (Roxy Mews on the site), and tell me what stage you're on right now. I'd love to hear about it.

This is a repost from a blog I did a few years back. It popped up in my memories and sadly, I realized the blog was no more.

So I wanted to share it, because I think it's a darn good blog, even if I do say so myself. Although I am giving plotting (in the most basic of forms) a try for this year's NaNoWriMo, I am a pantser at heart. Every story I've started has come from a main character and a "Wouldn't it be cool if..." statement. And that's it. So although I'm dipping my toe into the plotter pool, I'm probably diving back into the pantser lifestyle soon after.

Without further ado...Here's a post about NaNo and my Top 4 NaNoWriMo Prep Tips for Pantsers.

For anyone who isn’t familiar, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an online gathering of people who are all trying to score fifty thousand words in just thirty days. There are forums, and regional meetups, and really cool little graphs to help get you to those two magical words… “The End.”

I am that writer who loves the blank page. I adore starting stories. Those first few thousand words are my favorites. When the characters are just starting to dance across your brain cells, it’s exciting and new and the possibilities of where their tales will go are endless.

Starting stories was always easy for me. I had notebooks full of plot ideas, thumb drives stuffed with story starters, and hundreds of thousands of words that I had to get out of my head.

Unfortunately, up until a few years ago, I didn’t have a single finished novel.

Then I found NaNoWriMo. I created a profile and signed up. Seeing all of these seasoned authors sprinting along with me was amazing. We were all there for the same reason…to create a story. It didn’t matter what we were writing, we all had to get words on the page.

This is a series about how to prepare for NaNoWriMo. But I’m going to let you in on a secret…

Not all of us plan. Like…at all. Not even a little bit.

NaNoWriMo taught me a new term. “Pantser”.

A “Pantser” is someone who does no or very little preparation before they start. They turn on their computer and write.

My name is Roxy Mews, and I am a pantser.

I open Word, and I go. Sure, I don’t write the neatest first drafts. (I owe my CPs and editors some serious chocolate.) Sometimes my characters change attitude, hair color, and eye color, or even name.

Preptober about NaNoWriMo prep, so let me give you some ways to prep if you too are in the Pantser Camp.

#1 Get acquainted with the “Review” tab in Word.When I am writing and I know I need to research something for a plot point, or I am putting in a crucial tidbit where a character needs to act differently, I make a note. I click that lovely “New Comment” box in the Review tab, and remind myself what I need to do.

Killing someone with a gun? Google model descriptions later.

Have to find a regional food? Ask the twitterverse when that part of the world is awake.

Need to see if humans can bend that way while getting intimately acquainted? Just make sure your safe search is off, and the internet will reveal all.

Make your notes and move forward. NaNoWriMo is all about turning off your inner editor and finishing the story.

#2 Stock up on a stash of bribe items.There are days when you won’t want to write. The dreaded week 2 blahs strike many of us hard. Pick your favorite treat and keep them under lock and key until you put your butt in front of the computer.

You only get that piece of chocolate when you reach your word count goal.

That fancy coffee you love to treat yourself with? Only order it when you have your first ten thousand words under your belt. (I highly recommend Death Wish Coffee for this bribe)

You can also arm yourself with a special playlist, or a great smelling candle. They don’t have to be pricey or full of calories, but chocolate and caffeine tend to be what keeps me moving forward.

#3 Easy meal prepThe most exciting part about being a Pantser is when the muse sits on your shoulder and starts screaming the story in your ear. Those moments are not ones you want to stop in the middle of. If your muse is anything like mine, you can’t get her to start again when you’re ready.

Have easy meals ready to go.

Put the local pizza delivery place on notice, and let them know when you call them grunting into the phone it means you want a large bacon and pineapple. Tell them you’ll leave the money on the porch when you sprint for the bathroom break you’ve been putting off all afternoon.

I suppose you could cook things ahead of time too, but you’re about to write 50k in a month. If you’re anything like me, you don’t have time for that kind of thing.

#4 Get a buddyOne of the best things about the NaNoWriMo website is the buddies feature. You can add buddies to your page and the NaNo site will let you peek into their word count. You can see when they’re slacking and guess what…they can see when you are.

Having that accountability is one hell of a motivator. Find a buddy. Find a group of them, and push each other. When I see I am only a hundred words from topping one of my buddies for the day, I always get another cup of coffee and push ahead.

At the end of the day, if you are a Plotter or a Pantser, we all start with zero words on our boards. We all start with nothing and work to create a complete story. It’s not meant to be perfect, it’s not meant to be pretty, it’s meant to be finished.

If you’re waffling on joining up, and think you missed your time to prepare, you’re wrong. You don’t need a perfected outline. You don’t need character charts. You just need to write. Why not do it with millions of other people?

I've been chatting about NaNoWriMo over here a lot, and heads up, there will be a lot more, because this will consume my life for the next month. If it's not your bag...I'll see you in December.

But I do think even if you're not a WriMo, there are still tons of things you can get out of the content that becomes prolific during the month of November.

One of my favorite types of content is what people like to call their "Survival Kits". Many NaNoWriMo participants hoard adorable coffee mugs, cute pens, fancy gadgets and software in preparation for November. And there are a million and one of these videos that are prevalent on authortube. I'll drop two of my fav's from this year below.

Some of you might look at these Pinterest-Worthy moments and say, "Yeah. All well and good, Roxy. But I'm flat ass broke."

Here are 5 TOTALLY FREE bribes you can use for your NaNoWriMo survival kit.

1. Reading Time

Head to your local library and grab a great new book you're dying to read, or an old favorite. I've been known to use a book I haven't read since I was a kid to set next to me and motivate me to get my work done. Don't have the time to go out? Download Overdrive on your phone and borrow e-books and audio books from your library FOR FREE. Then reward yourself after a certain number of words. Maybe you can get ahead by writing a little more than goal each day, and once you are 1667 words ahead, you get a day off to read. Adjust it to work for you.

2. Binge Time

In the days of Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube, we all have services that allow us to watch episodic content to excess. Hold off on all this until your writing is done. Or better yet, give a particularly cruel buddy your login, and make them change it until your words are on the page. Just like the books, set a goal. Make it just a little challenging, but totally doable, and reward yourself when you get there.

Give yourself a visual list of all the good things you can watch, then you can check them off as you accumulate all those beautiful new words.

3. Hygiene

Okay...stay with me here. We tend to devolve a little on this as the month goes on. Many of us (me included) have a particular chair where we always write. And sometimes we get lost in our story and time and space, and showering get away from us. Make it your reward. Do you have a fancy shower-gel or soap you were gifted in that lame secret Santa party last year? Dig it out! Bath bomb you never have the time to use? As women, we tend to accumulate these things from co-workers and distant family when they have no idea what to buy us. Use them as your bribes. And if you don't have one of these stashes, treat yourself to a manicure or pedicure at the end of a long writing day. We have all these self-care items we tend to save for "special occasions", but it's time to break them out.

4. Candles

This is another of those things gifted and re-gifted to women constantly. So I'm assuming you have at least a few candles hanging around. Grab a candle for each 500 or 1,000 words you want to write for the day. Every time you hit that goal, light that baby up! It's helpful to see the visual reminder of what you're accomplishing, and you'll have the perfect atmosphere to keep going into the dark and stormy night.

If you don't have candles, but do have a stationary stash of stickers, maybe you can toss a cute sticker in your planner or in a notebook for every 500 or 1,000 words. Use what you have, but make it visible.

5. New App for your phone or computer

There are a ton of free apps out there, and they can be things as goofy as puzzle games or useful like the Forest app mentioned in Rachael Stephen's video above. I'm actually using the Forest app to write this blog now. I'm two bushes in. ;) But seriously, get yourself something you're wanting to try, but don't download it until you've hit goal for the day. Or maybe you want to spread it out, and use the apps for 10k, 20k, 30k, etc. Just find great ones you like that are FREE.

You don't have to drop hundreds of dollars on adorable things to do well in NaNoWriMo. You just have to write. And if you're reading this blog, you likely are doing it on a computer or phone, so you have all the tools you need, right there. Books have been written on phones. I have Microsoft Office 365 so my phone, but Google Docs is a free download for Android. (And I'm sure if you're on iOS there's something comparable.)

We're less than a week away from November 1st! Let's get ready to write like the wind!